Frank Zane’s workout routine produced possibly essentially the most aesthetic physique in bodybuilding history. Having one in all the smallest waistlines in Mr. Olympia’s history, he captured the title 3 times, including beating Arnold Schwarzenegger. He did all this although he weighed lower than 200lbs, the second man to have achieved this.
Nicknamed “The Chemist,” Frank Zane’s training and weight loss program were meticulous and calculated, which made his body arguably essentially the most aesthetic in bodybuilding history. This text will go over Frank Zane’s training principles and lay out his workout routine.
Who Is Frank Zane?
Frank Zane is one of the crucial distinguished bodybuilders who walked across the stage. He competed in the course of the golden age of bodybuilding, which lasted from 1961 to 1983. Nonetheless, his interest in bodybuilding began much earlier, on the age of 14 in 1956. Like many early bodybuilders, his passion grew after he saw a bodybuilding magazine, and he was in awe of the athletes’ god-like physiques.
In 1961, he made his pro debut with a less-than-stellar performance, placing seventeenth on the 1961 Mr. Pennsylvania. If anyone made any judgments on Frank Zane’s rookie performance, they’d be very incorrect. That next yr, he began winning most of his contests and placing 2nd and third in a number of.
We’ll list his contests below, but Frank Zane began kicking ass. What’s much more astounding is Frank Zane was relatively small in comparison with the opposite bodybuilders on the time. He stood at 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) and had a contest weight of just 190 lbs when he won Mr. Olympia.
We must always note that he was competing against Franco Columbu, the primary Mr. Olympia winner under 200 lbs. You may try this YouTube short to see the 2 of them competing next to one another. Each have awesome physiques but have a look at Frank Zane’s V-shape. This is the reason he was known for his Greek-like aesthetics.
Here’s a summary of Frank Zane’s contests. The variety of first-place finishes is astounding, let alone second and third place finishes. It’s insane.
- 1961 Mr. Pennsylvania (seventeenth place)
- 1962 Mr. Keystone (Winner)
- 1963 Mr. Keystone (2nd)
- 1965 Mr. Sunshine State (Winner)
- 1965 IFBB Mr. Universe (1st, Medium Height category)
- 1966 IFBB Mr. America (1st, Medium)
- 1967 IFBB Mr. America (1st, Medium)
- 1967 IFBB Mr. Universe (third, Tall)
- 1968 IFBB Mr. America (Winner)
- 1968 IFBB Mr. Universe (Winner)
- 1970 NABBA Mr. Universe (Winner)
- 1971 NABBA Pro Mr. Universe (1st, Short)
- 1972 NABBA Pro Mr. Universe (Winner)
- 1972 IFBB Mr. Olympia (Under 200 lbs, 4th)
- 1973 IFBB Mr. Olympia (Under 200 lbs, didn’t place)
- 1974 IFBB Mr. Olympia (Under 200 lbs, 2nd)
- 1975 IFBB Mr. Olympia (Under 200 lbs, 4th)
- 1976 IFBB Mr. Olympia (Under 200 lbs, 2nd)
- 1977 IFBB Mr. Olympia (Under 200 lbs & Overall Winner)
- 1978 IFBB Mr. Olympia (Under 200 lbs & Overall Winner)
- 1979 IFBB Mr. Olympia (Under 200 lbs & Overall Winner)
- 1980 IFBB Mr. Olympia (third)
- 1981 IFBB Mr. Olympia – boycotted
- 1982 IFBB Mr. Olympia (2nd)
- 1983 IFBB Mr. Olympia (4th)
Frank Zane’s Upper/Lower Workout Routine
Frank Zane has used various training programs throughout his profession. We are going to make the most of this and lay out 3 different training programs that can suit different people’s needs.
We’re going to begin with an easy, upper/lower split that Frank Zane would use. It seems this was utilized more during times of maintenance.
Keeping it easy, he would perform just 2 sets of 10 reps for every exercise—easy, Peasey. Here’s how it could look.
Upper Split
- Bench press
- Dumbbell flyes
- Leverage rowing or bent-over row
- Pull down
- Press behind neck
- Side dumbbell lateral raise
- Lying extension
- Dips
- Barbell curl
- Alternate dumbbell curl Reverse curl
Lower Split
- Parallel squat
- Hack squat
- Stiff-legged deadlift
- Donkey calf raise
- Calf machine standing raise
- One-legged calf raise
- Hanging knee up
- Tension sit up
- Seated twist
Frank Zane’s Prep Workout Routine
When Frank was prepping for competition along with his serious training, he followed a 3-day on, 1-day off split using a Pull, Legs, Push workout scheme. Here’s a video where you’ll be able to see him talking about it.
With that said, here is Frank Zane’s workout routine when preparing for competitions. This may very well be utilized by serious bodybuilders seeking to maximize muscle growth.
Pull Day
| EXERCISE | SETS | REPS |
| Wide Grip Deadlift | 3 | 15/12/10 |
| Rack Pulls | 3 | 10/10/8 |
| T-Bar Rows | 3 | 10 |
| Front Pulldown | 3 | 10 |
| One Arm Dumbbell Row | 3 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Concentration Curl | 3 | 8-10 |
| Alternating Dumbbell Curl | 3 | 8-10 |
| Incline Dumbbell Curl | 3 | 8-10 |
| Barbell Reverse Curl (superset) | 2 | 12 |
| Barbell Wrist Curl (superset) | 2 | 20 |
Leg Day
| EXERCISE | SETS | REPS |
| Back Squats | 6 | 15/12/11/10/9/8 |
| Leg Press | 3 | 15/12/10 |
| Lying Leg Curls | 3 | 12/11/10 |
| Leg Extensions | 3 | 12/10/8 |
| Standing Calf Raise | 3 | 15-20 |
| Donkey Calf Raise | 4 | 20-25 |
| Seated Calf Raise | 1 | 5/5/5/5 |
Push Day
| EXERCISE | SETS | REPS |
| Barbell Bench Press | 6 | 12/10/8/6/4/2 |
| Incline Dumbbell Press | 4 | 10/8/6/4 |
| Decline Dumbbell Flys | 3 | 12/10/8 |
| Dumbbell Pullover | 3 | 12/10/8 |
| Close Grip Bench Press | 3 | 12/10/8 |
| One Arm Dumbbell Overhead Extension | 3 | 12/10/8 |
| V-Grip Press Down | 3 | 12/10/8 |
| Bent Over Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 3 | 15/12/10 |
| Side Cable Raise | 3 | 12/10/8 |
Frank Zane Modified Workout Routine
After Frank retired from bodybuilding, he stayed within the gym and continued lifting weights. Nonetheless, his 3-day on and 1-day off workout routine can be too strenuous to proceed. Also, that much volume would not be mandatory for his post-competition life. Subsequently, he simply modified his pull, leg, and push routine to provide him more rest.
He followed what he called a 5,5,5,6 cycle. It sounds a bit more complicated than a conventional split, but it surely is sensible. When running this modified plan, he would train 3 days out of 5 for 3 weeks, followed by training 3 days out of 6 his last week.
Cycle 1
- Monday —Pull
- Tuesday — Rest day
- Wednesday — Legs
- Thursday — Push
- Friday — Rest day
Cycle 2
- Saturday — Pull
- Sunday — Rest day
- Monday — Legs
- Tuesday — Push
- Wednesday — Rest day
Cycle 3
- Thursday — Pull
- Friday — Rest day
- Saturday — Legs
- Sunday — Push
- Monday — Rest day
Cycle 4
- Tuesday — Pull
- Wednesday — Rest day
- Thursday — Legs
- Friday — Rest day
- Saturday — Push
- Sunday — Rest day
5 Frank Zane Training Principles
Let’s get into the training variables and principles that shaped Frank Zane’s workout routine.
1. Use Big, Compound Movements For Your Base
Frank Zane looked as if his body was meticulously chiseled, leading many individuals to assume he used isolations and machines extensively. While he did, he still believed that almost all of his muscle mass got here from the large compound movements.
Perhaps the most effective example is Frank Zane’s claims that rack pulls, or an elevated deadlift, were chargeable for adding the mass on his back. When questioned in regards to the mass and width of his back, Frank Zane claimed that when he began doing rack pulls, “My back became wide and thick..” If you could have read SET FOR SET for any length, you’ll know we now have talked about rack pulls often, as we predict they are a highly underutilized exercise for back development.
2. Be Strategic
Frank Zane had a purpose for the whole lot he did. Let’s take the rack pull again. Frank specifically arrange the rack pull in order that he would pull at knee level. He did this because he didn’t want his legs as involved and treated them like a back exercise.
The purpose is that he didn’t do exercises simply because. Every little thing he did had a reason. This doesn’t suggest it is the only way or the right way, but Frank just believed you needed a little bit of a technique.
We’ll offer you an example from our programming. Once we train back, we are going to often perform chin-ups as a substitute of pull-ups. It is because they use more muscle mass, are great for the biceps, and construct the traps to a greater degree than pull-ups. Then, to isolate the lats more, we are going to perform lat-pulldowns. In fact, there are other ways to do it, but you need to have a technique and reason for doing what you do.
3. Use A Mixture Of Loads
Frank Zane was well-known for his use of lightweights. Nonetheless, he firmly believed in using heavier weights as well. In actual fact, he would work as much as some heavy doubles for a few of his compound movements.
Performing reps throughout the spectrum will let you construct strength and mass. Some hardcore bodybuilders will think they do not care about strength; they only want mass. A stronger muscle can lift more weight and improve conditioning, while heavier loads strengthen the joints. Even when muscle mass is your number one priority, it’s still a superb idea to make use of heavier loads (>85% 1RM) on no less than one exercise for every movement pattern.
4. Loved Using A Ladders
Piggybacking on the above, Frank Zane utilized ladders significantly in a lot of his programs. Which means that with each successive set, he increased the masses and decreased the reps.
Using this strategy allowed Frank to coach the spectrum day by day, allowing numerous volume while providing some strength. Depending on the exercise, this range varies, but the overall concept stays true. One last caveat is that this training style might be more interesting and add a little bit variation.
5. Train When You are Training
Frank Zane would probably lose his shit if he trained at any big box gym nowadays. It’s unattainable not to note the quantity of individuals playing on their phones, taking pictures, and editing TikTok reels. Even when people may not do that, most appear to lack intensity and just undergo the motions. .
Frank Zane took his training seriously and promoted things like concentrating in your workout and developing a mind-muscle connection. He fully believed in using intensity and concentration within the gym.
Frank Zane’s Weight loss plan
Frank’s weight loss program appears to be your basic bodybuilder weight loss program: clean proteins, healthy carbs, healthy fats—your basic whole-food weight loss program.
Concerning his macros, his breakdown seems to differ depending on the time of yr. What we do know of course is that he favored protein year-round and suggested eating no less than 1 gram per pound of body weight. Nonetheless, as he approached a contest, he would increase his protein intake barely. At 200lbs, he says he’d eat around 240 grams of protein per day.
Regarding carbs, he says he’d eat 50% or lower than his protein intake. For instance, if he was eating 240 grams of protein, he’d only have 120 grams of carbs and even less.
In his blog, he suggests a variety of carb cycling. For 3 days, your carb intake needs to be half your protein intake. Then, on the fourth day, increase your carb intake to your protein intake. Should you weigh 180lbs, this 4-day cycle will seem like this;
- Day 1: Protein 180g // Carbs 90g
- Day 2: Protein 180g // Carbs 90g
- Day 3: Protein 180g // Carbs 90g
- Day 4: Protein 180g // Carbs 180g
On a side note, Frank Zane probably has the most modern and informational blog of any major bodybuilder. He usually posts about his training, nutrition, recovery—the whole lot! To be clear, among the best and arguably most aesthetic bodybuilders ever usually gives suggestions and advice without cost!
Frank Zane’s Supplementation
Frank Zane was well-known for using various supplements. In actual fact, that is one in all the explanations he got the nickname “The Chemist.”. These included things like protein powder and amino acids. On the time, amino acids were somewhat recent, making his consumption a bit foreign to other lifers.
Here’s the complement regime he listed in his blog.
Frank Zane’s Supplementation Regime
- Super Sports Amino Acid Caps: 3 (empty stomach)
- Vita-Minz Minerals Caps: 1 X 2-3 times per day (empty stomach)
- L-Arginine Caps: 1-2
- L-Glutamine: 1tsp (before breakfast)
- L-Tryptophan: 2-3 Caps (before bed w/ fruit)
- Melatonin: (10-20mg before bed, sometimes if needed for sleep)
- Mega Zyme (enzymes): 2 with every meal
- Liver extract
Final Say On Frank Zane’s Workout Routine
Should you have not, we would strongly encourage you to envision out videos and pics of Frank Zane competing and posing. All of Mr. Olympia’s bodies are astounding, but Frank Zane someway stands out, even along with his smaller frame. He embodies the physique most men truly want: a slim waist, broad shoulders, a large & thick back, an awesome core, perfectly proportioned arms – you possibly can go on and on. Luckily, he has been very open along with his training and has laid it on the market for anyone to make use of. If you wish to construct a physique that places aesthetics above mass, you have to try Frank Zane’s routine (it’ll put mass on you, too!)
